POIZNER defects from GOP, will run as independent -- TRIPPI, MASLIN start new super PAC -- BECERRA takes on TRUMP over Census

THE BUZZ: Steve Poizner, the wealthy Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur and 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate, has announced he'll seek statewide office as an independent in 2018 — marking a high-profile defection from the state Republican Party as President Trump's approval ratings sink in California.

Story Continued Below

-- Poizner told POLITICO Monday that as California confronts the impacts of devastating fires, mudslides and growing cybersecurity threats, he’s decided to seek the office of insurance commissioner for a second time — but this time, without a party label.

-- “California’s insurance commissioner needs to be fiercely independent of the insurance industry, which is why being free of partisan politics is especially important,’’ said Poizner, who held the office from 2007 to 2011. He said his experience in three arenas — the public sector with expertise in tech, as well the private and non-profit sectors — distinguishes him from two other major party candidates seeking the office. Democratic state Senator Ricardo Lara, and Peter Kuo, an East Bay Republican who has unsuccessfully run for Assembly and state Senate, have already declared in the race.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Joe Trippi and Paul Maslin launch a super PAC to play in congressional primaries, Kevin de León scores a big endorsement and Dan Morain makes a move.

Where’s Jerry: No public schedule.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- TRIPPI, MASLIN launch super PAC -- Democratic strategist Joe Trippi and pollster Paul Maslin are launching a new super PAC, “CA-BAM!” to compete for Republican-held seats in the midterm elections. The group said it is polling in key congressional districts, starting in Southern California, and it suggested it will play in primaries.

-- “We helped Doug Jones win Alabama, and CA-BAM! has launched to help Democrats win back America,” Trippi said in a prepared statement.

-- Expect this to be a culling effort. The super PAC said it is hoping “to identify the strongest Democrats with the best path to victory and engage in independent expenditure campaigns to help those Democrats win both primary and general elections.” The super PAC favors Katie Hill in CA-25, with Maslin saying she “clearly gives Democrats the best opportunity” to defeat Republican Rep. Steve Knight. The group is pushing polling to that effect. View the Super PAC’s website here

ISSA IN THE THICK OF IT: “GOP congressman pulls Issa into ugly divorce,” by POLITICO’s John Bresnahan, Jake Sherman and Rachael Bade: “Rep. Darrell Issa was a groomsman in Rep. Mike Turner's wedding to Majida Mourad in December 2015. Now, Turner is locked in a contentious divorce with Mourad — and he wants Issa deposed by his attorneys. Turner (R-Ohio) approached Issa (R-Calif.) in the Capitol last week and handed him a letter seeking a deposition as part of his divorce proceedings, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the interaction.

-- “It's unclear why Turner would seek Issa's testimony. Mourad's attorney, Sanford Ain, said in a statement Monday that Turner ‘may have’ told ‘third parties’ that she was unfaithful, ‘thinking it would advantage him in the divorce.’ But any claim of infidelity by Mourad ‘has no basis in fact,’ Ain said.” Story

-- The endorsement should help de León at the upcoming state Democratic Party convention, where a state party endorsement is on the line. BUT/THEN … it could amount to little in the long run if the nurses, who factored heavily in Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2010 election, don’t follow the endorsement with big money. In endorsing de León, the nurses praised his advocacy of universal health care.

MORAIN MOVES: Dan Morain is leaving the SacBee for CALmatters, a major coup for the nonprofit news organization and a blow to the Bee -- “Dan Morain joins CALmatters,” by CALmatters: "Dan Morain, editorial page editor and political affairs columnist at The Sacramento Bee, is bringing his decades of experience and institutional knowledge to CALmatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.” Story

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Poizner lost terribly to Meg Whitman, likely has zero or non-existent name ID, and his comments on immigration are just as horrifying and deplorable as Donald Trump’s.” -- Dave Jacobson, a strategist for Poizner rival Ricardo Lara

JOIN US -- “Conversations for the Common Good: The Race for the Second Most Important Office in the Country” -- POLITICO CA’s David Siders and Carla Marinucci sit down for in-depth discussions with CA gubernatorial candidates Delaine Eastin on Feb. 15 and John Cox on March 1, part of a series co-sponsored by the Leo T. McCarthy Center at USF. RSVP here.

TRUMP VS. BLUE STATES: “Trump takes aim at blue states in infrastructure plan,” by POLITICO’s Dana Rubinstein and Ryan Hutchins: “Major transportation projects in blue states may be in jeopardy in President Donald Trump’s 10-year infrastructure plan, which critics say favors little-populated rural areas to the detriment of urban America.

-- “The White House isn’t being coy about where its priorities lie in the $1.5 trillion proposal, released Monday: Of the $200 billion in actual federal investment called for in the 10-year plan, one-quarter would go to rural areas for purposes as diverse as sewers, highways, airports and broadband. But only 14 percent of people in the U.S. live in non-metropolitan areas. Story

THE TRUMP ERA:

-- BECERRA THREATENS TRUMP ON CENSUS -- Bidding to preempt a potential citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census — and avoid the fallout that could affect California’s congressional representation and billions of dollars in federal funding — state Attorney General Xavier Becerra and 18 other attorneys general on Monday argued such a question would be unconstitutional.

-- “What the Trump Administration is requesting is not just alarming, it is illegal,” Becerra said in a prepared statement. “The California Department of Justice is putting President Trump on notice: if a citizenship question is added to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau questionnaire, we are prepared to take any and all necessary legal action to protect a full and accurate Census. This is clearly an attempt to bully and discourage our immigrant communities from participating in the 2020 Census count.”

-- In a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the attorneys general argue a citizenship question would reduce response rates, harming the state.We detailed the issue previously here.

-- “California has a plan to skirt the GOP tax law. IRS veterans say it is likely doomed.” by WashPost’s Jeff Stein: “California's plan to shield residents from a tax hike under President Trump's tax plan is likely to fail, said seven former high-ranking Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department officials.” Story

-- “Trump takes ‘shackles’ off ICE, which is slapping them on immigrants who thought they were safe,” by WashPost’s Nick Miroff and Maria Sacchetti: “As ICE officers get wider latitude to determine whom they detain, the biggest jump in arrests has been of immigrants with no criminal convictions. The agency made 37,734 “noncriminal” arrests in the government’s 2017 fiscal year, more than twice the number in the previous year. The category includes suspects facing possible charges as well as those without criminal records.” Story

-- “Nancy Pelosi Wants to Take Back the House. But She Faces a More Urgent Test.” by NYT’s Sheryl Gay Stolberg: “At 77, Ms. Pelosi remains a dominant figure in the Democratic Party, its highest-ranking woman in the capital and the only woman ever to rise to House speaker. She is also a polarizing figure — increasingly even with Democrats — and as the budget vote indicated, she may be losing what was once an iron grip.” Story

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR:

-- “California’s two health insurance regulators to investigate Aetna coverage decisions,” by LATimes’ Barbara Feder Ostrov: “Both of California's health insurance regulators said they will investigate how Aetna Inc. makes coverage decisions, as the lawsuit of a California man who is suing the nation's third-largest insurer for improper denial of care heads for opening arguments Wednesday.” Story

-- “State earns first royalty check after investing billions in stem cell research,” by SFChronicle’s Joaquin Palomino: “California, which has poured billions of public dollars into studying stem cells over the past decade, recently received its first royalty check for the investment — a development that will feed into a debate over whether to spend more taxpayer funds on such research in the coming years.” Story

-- “On anniversary of Oroville Dam crisis, California lawmakers pass bill increasing inspections,” by LATimes’ Liam Dillon: “Under current law, state inspectors are required to examine the condition of dams, but don’t have specified timelines. Last year, after strong rainfall across Northern California, the Oroville Dam reached capacity and its main spillway was severely damaged. The threat of the spillway’s failure led to a sudden evacuation order due to fear of flooding and levee failures for miles around the dam.” Story

-- “Opioid epidemic rages, but California drug database lags,” by SacBee’s Billy Kobin: “As the opioid crisis rages across the country and in rural California, the California Department of Justice has not yet certified a database designed to prevent doctors from overprescribing the drugs, angering consumer and law enforcement groups that say it hurts efforts to prevent opioid abuse.” Story

-- “Getting homeless people off California streets is tough. One lawmaker has an idea.” by SacBee’s Angela Hart: “[San Francisco Assemblyman David] Chiu is making a major push this year for legislation and funding to address homelessness by fast-tracking housing, measuring public dollars spent by cities and counties to combat it and collecting data on services used such as emergency room visits and shelter stays.” Story

CAMPAIGNS 2018 AND BEYOND:

-- “GOP candidate for California governor John Cox once linked gay rights to polygamy, bestiality,” by LATimes’ Seema Mehta: “Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox, at a presidential debate more than a decade ago, linked gay rights with “transvestites,” polygamists and people who have sex with animals.” Story

-- “John Chiang goes for the funny bone with new ad that closes with the message: 'Stay woke.'” by LATimes’ Phil Willon: “California state Treasurer John Chiang is riffing off the popular, kitschy Dos Equis beer ad “The Most Interesting Man in World” in a new digital spot for his campaign for governor. The ad opens with scenes of Chiang walking through an orchard with a basket of fruit, shooting pool, strumming a guitar and sawing wood in a funky, frontier days hat. The cool guy depicted in the spot might make anyone who knows Chiang smile.” Story

-- “Why cops like Antonio Villaraigosa and not Gavin Newsom,” by SacBee’s Christopher Cadelago: “California organizations representing both police chiefs and rank-and-file officers put their law enforcement muscle behind Antonio Villaraigosa’s campaign for governor on Monday, contending that his Democratic rival, Gavin Newsom, supported criminal justice and public safety measures that are anathema to their priorities.” Story

-- “How San Diego Helped Name the Golden State Warriors,” by KQED’s Ryan Levi:Story

CANNABIS COUNTRY:

-- “PHOTOS: Are Pot-Themed Weddings Soon to be in High Demand?” by Bianca Hernandez and Alyssa Jeong Perry: “The 2nd Annual Cannabis Wedding Expo took place in San Francisco Sunday, bringing together industry professionals and potential clients. Now that recreational pot sales are legal in much of California, including San Francisco, the variety of products on the market has expanded.” Story

HOLLYWOODLAND:

-- “L.A. Mayor Pledges Grants to Boost Entertainment Industry Diversity,” by The Hollywood Reporter’s Carita Rizzo: “Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined filmmaker Ava DuVernay and producer Dan Lin on Monday to launch the Evolve Entertainment Fund (EEF), a public-private partnership aimed at creating new opportunities for communities that have been historically excluded from the entertainment industry. The fund plans to raise $5 million by 2020 to award grants to various entertainment industry organizations.” Story

SILICON VALLEYLAND:

-- “Berkeley, Calif., plans for first muni bond issued on blockchain,” by GovTech’s Ben Miller: “The mayor and one councilmember in Berkeley, Calif., announced this week that they are partnering with the startup Neighborly and the Blockchain Lab at the University of California, Berkeley to attempt the first-ever tokenized municipal bond. They hope to make the process faster, cheaper, more transparent and more accessible to community members.” Story

-- “Scandal-plagued Travis Kalanick back to his partying ways,” by Ian Mohr on Page Six: Story

-- “Inside the two years that shook Facebook -- and the world,” by Nicholas Thompson and Fred Vogelstein for Wired: Story

ENDORSEMENTS: Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has endorsed Jay Chen for CA-39 ... The California Conference Board of the Amalgamated Transit Union has endorsed Dave Jones for attorney general … Sen. Kamala Harris has endorsed Alex Padilla for secretary of state … Fresno City Council President Esmeralda Soria has endorsed Eleni Kounalakis for lieutenant governor.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.